Developing a Community Scorecard to Chronicle Public Health Disparities in South Los Angeles

Advancing Public Health Practice and Policy Solutions

The South LA Health Equity Scorecard examines the health of South Los Angeles residents in the context of the social and economic policies that contribute to inequitable resource levels. Scorecard then provides recommendations for policy solutions to achieve health equity. Scorecard was designed to serve as a tool for drawing public attention to and contributing to a greater understanding of the institutional and systemic barriers to health.

Residents of South Los Angeles suffer from the highest rates of morbidity and mortality in Los Angeles County. This is attributed in large part to the historical patterns of migration and segregation that today make South Los Angeles home to the largest population of African Americans (45.6%) and Hispanic or Latino populations (18.5%) in this region of more than 9 million residents.

South Los Angeles stands as an icon for all that plagues the urban inner cities across the country. Much of the disease burden can be attributed to the erosion of resources and the inequitable distribution of resources as a result of public/private divestment.